Upload
avecc-amourr
View
225
Download
2
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Moral Code
Citation preview
Search GOOPINIONCOMMENTPublished:July1,201501:18IST|Updated:July1,201501:18IST July1,2015WORLDVIEWChinasmoralcodeJABINT.JACOBThattheCommunistPartyofChinahasabandonedmuchofDengsadviceisevidentintwoverydifferentapproachesinChineseforeignandsecuritypoliciesIn2006,ChinesetelevisionbroadcastadocumentaryseriestitledTheRiseoftheGreatPowers(Daguojueqi).ProducedbyagroupofeminentChinesehistorians,theseriestookthecountrybystormwithitsbold,impartiallookatthereasonsbehindtheriseandfallofnineworldpowersinthemodernera.Thebroadcast,inhindsight,mighthavebeenthebeginningofChinasmoveawayfromDengXiaopings24characterstrategythatenjoinedittohideourcapacitiesandbideourtimebegoodatmaintainingalowprofileandneverclaimleadership.Thedecadesofeconomicreformswerebeginningtoshowresults.BythetimetheglobalfinancialcrisishadwroughtitsdamageintheWest,theCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)hadabandonedmuchofDengsadvice.Today,thisisevidentintwoverydifferentapproachesinChineseforeignandsecuritypolicies.TerritorialdisputesFirst,Chinahasbeenassertiveinterritorialdisputes.InthecaseofthemaritimedisputeswithJapanintheEastChinaSeaandwithahostofASEANnationsintheSouthChinaSea,incursionsintoterritorialwatersofothercountrieshasgraduatedtoclashesatseawithforeignvessels,andtopermanentoccupationofandconstructionondisputedfeatures.Thisassertionistheresultoftheavailabilityofvasteconomicresourcesandrapidmilitarymodernisation.Itisalsoadeliberatechallengetocommonlyunderstoodinterpretationsofinternationalmaritimelawinpractice,butalsoinofficialpronouncementsbyChinaandthroughwritingsbyitsscholarsininternationalpublications.Chinahasalsoattemptedtoadoptpracticesofotherpowerssuchastheairdefenceidentificationzone(ADIZ).ItisneitherimportantthattheargumentsthatChineseofficialsandscholarsaremakingparrotnationalpropagandanorthatChinamightcurrentlybeunabletoenforceADIZ.Thepointisthatithassetitselfupasachallengertobetakenseriouslybysettingprecedentsinmattersofinternationallaw.Meanwhile,anyexternalchallengestoChinasactionsonlyservetojustifycontinuednationalismathomeaswellasincreasedmilitaryspending.BeijingsrecentannouncementthatsomeofitslandreclamationworkintheSouthChinaSeawouldbecompletedsoonshouldnotlullanyoneintothinkingthatBeijingisbackingofffromfurtherprovocation.ItonlymeansthatChinacontinuestofollowtheopeningpartofDengsdictum:[o]bservecalmlysecureourpositioncopewithaffairscalmly.Indeed,itisillogicaltoexpectanationthathasblatantlyviolatedthe2002DeclarationontheConductofPartieswithASEANtochangeitsspots.Militaryrelateddevelopmentswillcontinuegivenhowtheyareseenasintrinsictosovereignty,andallactivitywillcontinuetobetermedaslegitimate,justifiedandreasonable.FrequentstatementswillalsobethrowninonhowtheseallowChinatobetterperformitsinternationalresponsibilitiesandobligations,suchasmaritimesearchandrescue.Andyet,thetelecastofDaguojueqialsosuggeststhatChinaisapowercapableofselfreflectionandwillingtolearnfromothers.So,areChinasactionsnowtheresultofthoselessons,anddoesitbelieveitcanavoidthepitfallsthatledtothedeclineoftheothermajorpowers?ThesequestionsarecomplicatedbythefactthattheU.S.remainstheworldssolesuperpowerandChinaremainsdeeplyinsecureonmultiplefronts.ThisbringsustoChinassecondapproach.ChinawishestopresentanalternativeideologyandmodelofdevelopmentfromthatoftheWest.Indeed,onecouldarguethatforallrisingpowersitisnotenoughtopossesseconomicandmilitarypower,butalsonecessarytogainrespectforamoralcodethatoriginateswithoneself.ThisChinesemoralcodeinsimpletermsisabouteverycountryhavingtherighttochooseitsownpoliticalandeconomicsystems.Aswithallnationalmoralcodes,itisalsofoundedonasenseofnationalexceptionalism.InthecaseofChina,itisunableorunwillingtoseehowitcanpossiblybeatfaultinitsterritorialclaims.Havingshownrespectforothercountriespoliticalregimes,ChinapresumestheymustinturnrespecttheCPCsruleoverChina.However,sincetheCPCsfoundationalpremisetodayisabouthelpingtheChinesepeoplestandupandovercomethecenturyofhumiliation,therecannotberespectfortheCPCsrulewithoutalsorespectingwhateversovereigntyclaimsitmakesonChinasbehalf.Thus,itiseasyforChinatojustifybullyingitssmallerneighbourswhodisrespectitbycontestingitsterritorialclaims.PartofthepowerplayisthisassertionofthelegitimacyoftheCPCinthefaceoftheAmericanespousalofdemocracyasaglobalvirtue.ThisantiAmericanismiswhatgivesChineseassertionsofAsiaforAsiansandobjectionstoAmericanalliancesintheregionanaddededge.Andyet,theCPCsChinaisalsosavvyenoughtorealisethatitspositionofrelativeweaknessvisvistheU.S.andimmediateinabilitytoenforceitswillinallcasesmeansthatithastoconsiderotheroptionstobreakforeigndistrust.Thus,underitsonebelt,oneroadinitiativeChinaisofferingeconomiclargesseintheformofaidandloanstofinancesorelyneededinfrastructureconstructioninAsiaandelsewhere.Thus,ChinasexcesscapitalandinfrastructureovercapacityarenowofferedascarrotsthathelpdivideASEANandweakenoppositionwithinindividualcountries,evenasthestickremainsvisibleintheSouthChinaSea.(JabinT.JacobisAssistantDirectorandFellow,InstituteofChineseStudies,Delhi.)Printableversion|Jul3,20151:25:54AM|http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/chinasmoralcode/article7371545.eceTheHindu